Thursday, March 31, 2011

The Squirrel's Nut Cache - 3/31/2011


The Nut Cache - a collection of recent things I found interesting, or amusing, or nutworthy.

The fans in Gloucestershire are not happy at all. It seems that, after councilors tried to institute attendance fees, to limit the ever-growing crowds of spectators (In 2009, the last time the event was held, over 15,000 people attended. Officials say the site's capacity is only 5,000 people.), were met with angry protests & even some threats, the Cooper's Hill cheese rolling has been canceled for the second year in a row. Could this be the end of a tradition is at least 200 years old? I sure hope not, the videos are just too much fun to watch!

Throughout the modern era, scientists have speculated about life on Mars. Many classic science fiction stories explore questions about life on Mars. Since the first Viking probe landed on Mars, in 1976, probe after probe has searched for life on Mars, but to no avail. Perhaps now we know why! Venezuelan Dictator Hugo Chavez says that they were Capitalists, and that's why they died off... Okay, sure, Hugo... (And this guy runs a country?!?!!!)

I love a good practical joke! I define a practical joke as something that's funny, but causes no real damage. Somebody in South Carolina likes a good practical joke, too. It seems that, sometime late last Saturday night or early Sunday morning, a couple of road construction signs were reprogrammed to read "Caution: Zombies ahead!" (Now, of course, the signs could have been real, and the news story calling them a prank is really part of a cover-up to hide the truth of the Zombie Apocalypse from an unsuspecting public... Guard your BRAINZZZZZ)

Reprogramming a sign to warn of zombies is funny, but stealing statues is expensive vandalism... but it's also weird enough for mention in the Nut Cache. Someone in San Diego is stealing statuary. Lots of statuary. 18 statues with a total worth of $40,000+ have been reported stolen, including a 600-pound bronze moose(or "møøse"?)! Many of the statues have been metal, so scrap metal scavengers may be to blame. Or it could just be Garden Gnome Liberationists gone wild. Like I said, not funny, but weird. Very weird.

Over the last few years, many of us have reconnected with old friends from high school and college days on social media sites like Facebook and the like. But many people, it seems, try to use the internet as an escape from reality... As something... unreal? And, if there's a dollar to be made, someone is bound to figure out how. Like these people, who will create a digital girlfriend for you to interact with online. Sad and scary all at the same time, as the virtual line between fantasy and reality becomes more and more blurry for some...

From Reading, Pennsylvania, comes the story of a truck driver who's truck crash saved his life...



We can't, it seems, have a Nut Cache without a dumb criminal® story. And this one's a doosey! Free Advice to Bank Robbers: #1) Don't try to convince the bank teller that your bag of burgers is a bomb. #2) Don't present your identification to the bank teller when she asks for it. Some folks just deserve to go to jail... (HT- TucsonMom)

A Raleigh, North Carolina man wanted a stoplight put up in his neighborhood. He put together a proposal that contained a detailed analysis of why a stoplight was needed at that location. He must have done a really really good job on that proposal, because a Department of Transportation official, a state traffic engineer, has filed charges against him for, get this, "practicing engineering without a license"!!! Every once in a while, I wish I was a judge. I'd love to have this case walk into my courtroom!

And the Nuttiness goes on and on...

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